Judge Ed Emmett told community and business leaders Wednesday that while Harris County remains “far better than most governmental entities,” recent high-profile scandals must be dealt with in order to restore public trust.

“County leaders are committed to providing efficient, effective government,” he told guests at his State of the County address. “We are also committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of county residents.”

Emmett’s remarks came the day after Texas Rangers removed documents and computers from the Harris County District Attorney’s office. This on the heels of a grand jury claiming the DA had improperly investigated its members.

“We need to do a better job of defining and enforcing the county’s ethics policy,” he said. “That’s something we might want to talk to the Legislature about.”

After the event, organized by the Greater Houston Partnership, Emmett told reporters he would like to see changes within the county that would allow employees who report violations to gain whistle-blower status. This would legally protect the employee from retaliation by superiors at work.

“I would think we could change that,” he said.

Additionally, the judge said Harris County needs to establish a venue where county officials and employees can bring ethics questions. He said there is a difference between making a mistake and intentional abuses.

“Some (county employees) would like a place to ask, ‘Is this a conflict?” he said.

In addressing the about 1,000 gathered at the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel, Emmett repeatedly called Harris County “a county of substance” as he pointed to its diversity and growth.

“Our finances are tight and our needs, like our population, are growing,” he said.

He pointed to county improvements such as Beltway 8 and major bayou projects as significant factors in alleviating traffic problems and flooding, respectively. Repeatedly, he praise the “vast majority” of county officials and employees as “dedicated” and “honest.”

On other topics:

Criminal justice system: Emmett called the Institute of Forensic Sciences “a world-class operation” that will improve once its new facilities are ready. When asked about discussions to possibly share the facility with the city of Houston, he said, “I wouldn’t say we are very far along.”

Health care: The judge stressed the county must lead the way in providing the indigent population with preventative care. This would, he said, require a regional approach, involving neighborhood clinics and health-care organizations.